A New Industrial Wastewater Treatment System in Spain

A Spanish poultry processing firm will be upgrading its wastewater treatment plant with GE LEAPmbr Membrane Bioreactor Technology, which will double the water treatment capacity within the same footprint of the existing wastewater plant and will improve the quality of water that is discharged to comply with regulations.

Apr 11, 2013

GE has announced the commissioning of its high-performance LEAPmbr membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology at a wastewater treatment plant owned by the Spanish poultry processing firm, Procavi S.L. GE’s LEAPmbr technology will help Procavi improve water quality and double its water treatment capacity without expanding the existing facility. This is the first industrial LEAPmbr installation in Spain.

Wastewater discharge regulations and water quality standards, along with an increase in factory production, led Procavi to expand its existing wastewater treatment plant. The previous wastewater treatment plant was producing 600 m3/day, while today it can process two times that amount—1,200 m3/day—due to GE’s LEAPmbr technology.

“GE’s LEAPmbr technology was the ideal choice for Procavi’s upgraded wastewater treatment plant. We were able to easily install the new equipment without increasing the facility’s footprint. Additionally, LEAPmbr was a cost-effective and energy-efficient solution that could meet Procavi’s expansion needs,” said Luis Carlos Martinez, technical director, AEMA.

The new capacity of the upgraded wastewater treatment plant is equivalent to the daily water use of roughly 6,000 people. Once treated, the water will be reused for washing within the production facility and for irrigation. The LEAPmbr technology helps owners of municipal, industrial and residential water/wastewater treatment facilities address their pressing water quality issues, while increasing overall productivity of the treatment system. The water discharged from the facility will be released into the Corbones River, a tributary of Guadalquivir.

“When the Procavi poultry facility needed to expand its wastewater treatment plant, it had to take into account the reuse possibility, the region’s strict water discharge regulations, space limitations at the plant and its need for a cost-effective energy solution. GE’s LEAPmbr technology ensures the highest quality of discharge water, along with the lowest energy consumption in its class. Additionally, the wastewater treatment plant was able to increase capacity without expanding its footprint, making GE’s LEAPmbr technology the right solution for Procavi’s needs,” said Yuvbir Singh, general manager, engineered systems—water and process technologies for GE Power & Water.

The result of a four-year development effort, GE’s LEAPmbr system offers a minimum 30 percent reduction in energy costs, a 15 percent improvement in productivity (greater water-treatment capacity), a 50 percent reduction in membrane aeration equipment and controls, leading to a simpler design with lower construction, installation and maintenance costs, and a 20 percent reduction in physical footprint leading to further reduced construction and installation costs as well as lower ongoing consumption of cleaning chemicals.